A labor expert with experience in both Congress and the federal government has joined the government affairs division at Caterpillar.

Kai Hirabayashi left his job as labor counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this month. His new title at Caterpillar is senior government affairs representative.

Widely known for its yellow construction equipment, Caterpillar bills itself as the world's largest construction and mining equipment manufacturer. Caterpillar also boasts an in-house financial services wing which reported $2.78 billion in revenue last year.

Hirabayashi has lobbied before, on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he worked as senior manager of labor law policy from 2008 to 2010.

Hirabayashi wraps up his second stint working for Congress, having left his position on the House Education and Labor Committee in 2007 for a job with the U.S. Department of Labor.

A graduate of the University of Washington, Hirabayashi holds a JD from Gonzaga and an LLM from American University.